Retuning to announce their fifth studio album, tech-death juggernauts Allegaeon drop a new single along with an accompanying visualization. Scheduled to be released on the 19th of April, with the release of ‘Apoptosis’, Allegaeon promise a seamless and intelligent symbiosis of technical, progressive and melodic death metal.
Released via Metal Blades Records, ‘Apoptosis’ was tracked at Denver’s Flatline Audio by long-serving producer Dave Otero of Cattle Decapitation and Cephalic Carnage fame and will be the first studio album to feature the bands new bassist Brandon Michael. Speaking of the new bassist, frontman Riley McShane stated in a press release that ‘Musically, Brandon brings a huge new dimension … He has this wide breadth of music knowledge and stylistic proficiency that he draws from with excellent taste, and this makes a lot of the songs on ‘Apoptosis’ come to life’.
Taking a different approach to song writing, guitarist Michael Stancel notes that he was more open with this record to ideas that he might have rejected in the past in a conscious effort to push their sound into new territory. Continuing, ‘Rather than deleting something because ‘it’s not Allegaeon-y enough’, I would take a step back and see if that idea fit the song and decide if it was worth keeping. With that mentality came some of my favorite songs, because I was less worried about if it fit into our old sound.’
Additionally, the band also give clues as to what the album will sound like by explaining how the music reflects the lyrical theme of contrast. ‘The vocals are heavier than ever, but there are also more clean sections. The drums are faster than ever but also more dynamic, and the guitar playing is lower and slower than on most previous albums, but also provides long, melodic and beautiful sections throughout’.
And in anticipation of the new release, Allegaeon have also released their first single from the new album under the title ‘Stellar Tidal Disruption’ along with an accompanying music video directed by Robert Graves of A Shadow Beyond Productions. Be sure to mark the 19th of April into your calendars and check out the video below.